One of the small advantages of being a long-time player, critic, and observer of L5R is that sometimes -- just sometimes -- the head honchos help clear a space for you so that you can see the final game. As in 1997, I was lucky enough to have a ringside seat to the final game of the "Test of the Jade Champion" L5R tournament at GenCon 1998. Although the storyline implications weren’t as big this year as in 1997 (hey, you can’t kill the ultimate evil every year), there were more players than ever before and no shortage of fine gaming moments.
And the final game was as dramatic a finish as you’re likely to see.
To understand GenCon ’98, you need to keep in mind that L5R was in a higher state of flux than ever before or since. We’d just had the first main set that was significantly different than its predecessors, Jade Edition. We had the “extended Jade” format for storyline tourneys, which limited the number of personalities. Phoenix and Scorpion had a tiny personality base to work with. Standbys like Hida Amoro and the Crab Oni were gone for Crab. Lion no longer had Matsu Gohei many other key personalities that had made Lion a dominant clan the previous two years. Saying some clans were not favoured to do well in this tournament was a huge understatement. And there was Rolling Thunder. New cards were coming in constantly.
Yet despite the constant changes in the tournament scene, one clan had been a consistent winner throughout the year. 1998 was the year of the Crane. "Robot" Crane honor decks (using Shinsei's Shrine, very few personalities, and a lot of events) had been blowing away the competition since February’s decisive Crane win at Orc*Con in Los Angeles. Crane cake-walked through Origins.
Many people thought Crane was irredeemably broken. I saw more than a few stern faces more or less saying as much to Ryan Dancey (former FRPG Brand Manager and L5R co-designer; later promoted to TSR) on day one of GenCon. Ryan laughed, and admitted that he had been “praying” for days and days that Crane didn’t win GenCon. Ryan said he thought Unicorn would win. Certainly, Unicorn had been looking good that year (though the new Otaku Palaces were yet to come). They’d been the highest non-Crane clan at Origins. Nevertheless, a lot of folks continued to predict that the GenCon final would be little more than a Crane coronation.
When you looked at the representation of the clans making the final 32, it looked like the oddsmakers were on the money so far, but Ryan’s prediction was a good one, too. Crane had ten players in the final 32, with Unicorn’s eight players close behind. Five players represented Dragon (three used the original Mountain Keep stronghold, and two used Kyuden Hitomi). Two players each competed for Crab and Lion. Phoenix, Scorpion, Naga (Shinomen Forest), Toturi’s Army, and the Shadowlands Horde were in the game with one player each. Lead designer Dave Williams was very happy to see most clans represented in this final 32, saying, "Is this game balanced or what?!"
The line up in the “Sweet 16” didn’t change the proportions very much: five players each for Crane and Unicorn; two Lions; one for Dragon, Naga, Scorpion, and the Shadowlands.
But in the final eight, the Crane lead simply dissolved. Unicorn led the pack with three players, two for Crane, and Dragon, Lion, and Naga hanging tough with one player each. Being in the top eight was the best finish for Naga has ever had in a major tournament (with Marty Loftus playing for Naga).
And when you saw the final four -- Crane, Dragon, Lion, Unicorn -- you knew it was anyone’s game. The final Dragon player was none other than 1997 Champion, Chris Bergstrom! All the way through the final matches, there was a huge buzz over whether Chris could pull off a repeat. The funny thing was, I watched Chris pull together his deck just before the opening rounds after we'd had a skirmish game. Chris played a Dragon honor deck -- slower than robot Crane decks, but uses tricks like The People's Champion to hang on for the extra turn or two he needs to come from behind. There were some very seldom used cards, like Matsu Seijuro, who you seldom see in Lion decks, never mind Dragon ones. Chris never expected to get that far.
I was well placed to watch the game between Chris Bergstrom and Chris Jilot. Chris Bergstrom gets an incredible start, with Hitomi (Experienced 3) on the table by something like turn 2. But his friend Chris Jilot, playing Unicorn, whittles him down to make it into the finals. But Chris Bergstrom, amazingly, ends up ranked third.
Almost overlooked was that another top 8 player from last year -- David La, who'd played Phoenix at Day of Thunder -- was also in the final four. Having two players in the finals two years in a row shows that it’s not just about luck. It's a very tight game, but David gets cheered after eliminating the final Crane player. The "manifest destiny" of the Crane has been derailed! In fact, in the final game, I overheard David say to Chris, “Actually, I can relax now. Crane’s not winning.”
Lion and Unicorn, both upright and honorable clans, right? Maybe. But a lot of spectators couldn't help feeling some foreboding when they noticed that both Chris and David were wearing Shadowlands baseball hats.
Lion: David buys Ikoma Kaoku. No gold to be seen.
Unicorn: Chris buys Shinjo Sanetama, and immediately attaches Shiryo no Shinjo to him. He then buys a Corrupt Stable, dropping his honor to 2 (remember, this was before The Otaku Palaces!). With some money and a personality who's now nigh untouchable in battle, Chris definitely has the better start.
Lion: David uses Kaoku to lobby for, and take, the Imperial Favor. Dave's economic prospects look better after he buys a Copper Mine and Small Farm.
Unicorn: Out comes a Breach of Etiquette, which David negates with the Favor. Chris puts a Fan of Command on Sanetama (he's now a Tactician who's untouchable in battle), and brings out two Merchant Caravans.
Lion: David sends Kaoku after the Imperial Favor again. Not much else to do but buys Kitsu Okura at reduced price.
Unicorn: Chris has Imperial Gift show up (my notes don't say, but I think I remember him fetching the Ancestral Armor of the Unicorn). The fortunes certainly seem to be favouring Chris with the better draw in the early game. Chris buys Iuchi Katta at full price, which should push his honor back to 4, but David plays Slander to stop the honor gain, leaving Chris stuck at 2 honor. (David later told me this was the move that won him the game.)
Lion: David gets a Farmlands showing up in his Province. With his honor lead solidified, David "Favor shuffles" (uses the Favor to draw a card, and lobbies to retake it). I think David hired Ikoma Ryozo and another 2 PH personality on this turn, but my notes don’t say.
Unicorn: Chris has The Doji Plains by this turn. Chris attaches Heavy Mounted Infantry (2 force, with the potential to go to 4) to Shinjo Sanetama (Tactician, can't be targeted in battle), and declares an attack. Chris takes the province without a contest, and Sanetama goes home bowed. He’s forced to chuck everything in his provinces, including Unicorn's star personality, Otaku Kamoko, because he can’t make the honor requirements.
Lion: David is sitting at 12 honor, and has Imperial Ambassadorship resolve. Looking for some payback, David attacks a province with The Doji Plains, and gets it, again without opposition. He plays Rallying Cry, and uses Ikoma Kaoku to give his army a +1F/+1C bonus. He ends his turn by buying Ikoma Ryozo at reduced cost.
Unicorn: Chris attaches another Heavy Mounted Infantry to Shinjo Sanetama, who is rapidly becoming "The Unit" (two 2F followers, potentially 4F each, Tactician, and can't be touched in battle), and attacks again. He destroys the second province.
Lion: David is at 12 honor, and controls the Favor, but he only has two provinces compared to Chris's three. That makes it very, very interesting when Oni no Akuma turns up in Dave’s rightmost province. Everyone had to be asking themselves: "Is he going to buy it?" David attacks with his two copies of Ikoma Ryozo (lucky he’s controlling the Favor), and gets his second province. He uses Kaoku to give bonuses again, but does not have a Rallying Cry. He buys Ikudaiu, then makes his move. David hires Oni no Akuma and loses his province, prompting an “OooOOOOOooooh!” from the crowd. One province, several personalities bowed from battle... I think everyone was convinced David had just slit his own throat.
Unicorn: Kisada’s Funeral resolves (not that anyone is racing to 40 in a hurry). Chris, I think, smelled blood in the water. He pretty much went straight into his attack phase, and commits with his entire army (total of 8 force): Iuchi Katta and the pumped-up Shinjo Sanetama. "Everyone," he said, reaching across the table and pointing at David's last province.
David controls the Favor, but with Shiryo no Shinjo making Sanetama untouchable in battle, and the potential for at least 8 force more (2F each for the two Heavy Mounted Infantry, and 4F Tactician Bonus from chucking the Ancestral Armor of the Unicorn, or something else), Chris obviously feels pretty confident.
David defends with all his unbowed personalities: Oni no Akuma, Ikudaiu, and someone else (Ikoma Kaoku, perhaps). He’s one or two points of force up on Chris.
David takes a card from his hand, and announces, “Deadly Ground.”
Chris looks at his cards, pauses for only a second, then reaches over and offers his hand in congratulations to David.
Many people have said that David would have destroyed the province and hired Akuma no matter what the cards in his hand. Maybe. Maybe not. David told me afterwards that he did count all the force on the table and looked at the Deadly Ground in his hand before he brought out Oni no Akuma. Considering the game situation, David's decision was absolutely logical. Whether he would have done the same in the force totals were in Chris's favor, not his, is anybody's guess.
After the game, Ree Soesbee improvised the ending to the contest of the Jade Champion, describing Kitsu Okura summoning the oni.
David apparently couldn't be happier at this turn of events. He told me he called the deck, "Akuma's Army," and made a lot of references to "Matsu Akuma!" One wag in the audience yell up to him, "David La! You've just won the Test of the Jade Champion! What are you doin' now?!"
"I'm goin' to the Shadowlands!" he answered.